Knitted article



Jul 10, 1934. E \MLDT ET A 1,965,873

KNITTED ARTICLE Filed March 23, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l July 10, 1934.

E. WILDT ET AL 65,873

KNITTED ARTICLE Filed March 23, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 10,1934; f

' fUNITED STA'J-TES .PATENTTOF'FICE;

Y Edwin Wildt and Henry Harold Holmes, Leicester,

England, assignors to Wildt and Company Limited, Leicester, England,aeompany of Great Britain This invention consists in improvements in or relating to knitted fabrics and to methods of knitting them and is concerned solely with the production of knitted goods, having what is some- 5 times termed "non-iaddering properties, and

includes knitted hose and half-hose. The expression non-laddering" does not necessarily mean that laddering is wholly prevented but denotes that should a loop of the knitting be broken the stitch or stitches released by the broken loop will not readily run down nor pull out through any considerable length of the knitting.

The invention is limited to articles knitted from silk. artificial silk, mercerized cotton or other yarns having similarly smooth surfaces because it is inconnection with goods knitted from such yarns that the problem of preventing 'laddering becomes a particularly important one.

The invention is also limited to a knit fabric in which the warp-thread is plated at the rear of the face of the fabric. It is not intended to include so called interlocked fabrics in which the warp-threadis laid below the latch ofthe needles so as to be secured at the back of the fabric. It is to be understood that the plating of warpthread at the rear of the face of the fabric is to include the so called sandwiching of warp-threads .between ground-threads.

Moreover, the invention is applied to nonladderingfabrics knitted from a combination of a ground-thread 0r threads and warp-threads of a similar type, for instance, to those described in prior British Patents Nos. 327,958, 327,987,

327,988 and 328,026 but is not necessarily limited to the methods and machines therein described and claimed.

An object of the invention is to improve the non-laddering properties of the fabrics and also to improve the appearance. of them' so thatthe 3 employment of the Wale-threads does not substantially alter the appearance of the fab. ie from that of a. plain knitted fabric. Generally, in nonladdering fabrics produced hithertofrom a com- I bination of groundand warp-threads the ap-r pearance of the resultant fabric has not been that of a plain knitted fabric and particularly in the caseof hose and halfhose this .is objectionable. a The invention described and claimed herein is y to be understood to include fabrics, hose and half-hose when those parts only that are nor;- mally required in the use ofthe article to be lad-v derproof are knitted in the manner and from the yarns above referred to. For instance, in the {case .of hose and half-hose it may be preferable to form any or all of the followinglparts, namely, the heel, toe, foot-bottom, welt or ribbed top or portions thereof, and in some instances the highsplice, of the yarns set out above and/or of others not necessarily possessing a smooth surface and some or all of these parts may be knitted in a ladderproof manner or in any other manner. Furthermore, the lower portion of the hose or half-hose comprising essentially heel, toe and foot-bottom need not necessarily be produced on the same machine as the leg portion. Also wales at the back of the article may be involved in the knitting of a mock seam or a substitute therefor, or wales where clocks or similar special patterns are to be produced, may be knitted in any other manner. Again, in cases where embroidered stripes are to be subsequently worked on to the fabric the Wale-threads necessary for the ladderproof fabric may be omitted from the needles on which the wales are produced that are to receive the embroidery. Furthermore, articles which are substantially ladderproof owing to being knitted in the manner hereinafter described are not to be deemed outside this invention as described and claimed herein merely -because portions of their lengths so short as not seriously to aflect'the ladderproof quality are knitted in some other manner and/or of some other material.

Where reference is made herein to knitting the major portion of an article in a ladderproof manner it is to be understood that substantially the whole article will be so knitted'except for exemplified above. a

According to the present invention, knitted fabis 'so formed that throughout the whole or major portion of the fabric groundand warp-threads are knitted together with the ground-thread loops plated in front of the warp-thread loops and in which the ratio of the ground-thread diameter to the warp-thread diameter is at least 1.4: 1. Although the minimum ratio of the diameter of the ground-thread tothat of the warp-thread has been stated to be 1.4:1, to'be more precise in relation to artificial silk and .the like the equivalent ratio reckoned in yarn counts is 2:1. In a preferred form of thes aid invention the minimum ratio of the diameter of the ground thread to that of the warp-thread is 1.6:1 and may be as great as 1.73:1 or even greater.

minor or non-essential portions thereof as are ric, hose or half-hose of the kind above specified It is to be'noted that the maximum coarsen ss of the warp-threads in'accordance with this in- *ventioncommences at approximately the mini- -.ewim '-t i e f d, J9 is a enlarged" view obtained from "(microscopic -ei'rarninatioiis showing slight inn r,

that may occur in the mum coarseness used ior'patteming with plating threads, and that for preference considerably finer warp yarns are used.

It is not necessary that in each wale each warpthreadshould be formed into a; knittedloopin each course as in some courses the warp-threads may be interlocked in a similar manner to that described in prior British specification No. 313,657. g

It is not necessary that each ground-thread be comprised of a single ground-thread, but that it may also be composed of a pluralityknitted together ineach needle sc also the warm thread may comprise several threads knitted .by' the same needle at one time. g The face of the fabric'on which, in accordance with this invention, the ground-thread loops are to appear is that face or surface which will be the outer face or right side of the finished article. In ahose or half-hose the right side of the article is that which is seen when the hose or half hose'is worn and the wrong side or rear face is thatwhich will be next to the skin of the wearer.

- @The warp-loops will thus appear on the wrong F side or resiface of the fabric. That is to say, they will appear on that face which, at the time that the loops of the fabric are knocked over the needle-head during the process of knitting, is

-fa.rthest away from the needle-head.

If preferred, two or more ground-threads can be employed instead of a single ground-thread and the total thickness of the ground-thread canbe made up by the use, of two or more relatively gfine threads. V

The mechanism for knitting fabrics, hose or half-hose in accordance invention may be similar to that describedfinelw one of the prior patents above mentioned andsuch mechanism may be modified in themanner described 4?) in British Patent No. 331,930. v

In a preferred method of c out the present invention the warp-threads are knitted-so as to appear on the rear face of the fabric'by to say, the ground-thread willbe supplied to the f needles under a greater tension than the warp- 'threads with the'result. that the ground-thread is laid rearmost in the needle-hook before knocking over and will subsequently come to the face of the g'fabric (i. e. the outer face orright side) by reason of the overturning of the combined loops during the process of knockingloverg, 1 v i A preferred method of carrying the invention' into effect is diagrammatically illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which+ Figure 1 illustrates'a bearded needle and sink Figure 2 shows the sameneedle at a later t e knltti'x'igil ssknown as landingi; i', 'Figure 3.illustratesthe same needle at a still Q ?-8' -,9 h i80Yi" j'. i i 4 showed "or on or fabric viewed I from the rearpface or sideiri which in each of the wales".illu'strated' 'in- 'each course a Warp-thread; is formefd'in: knitted loop with "Figures so and- 6b diagrammatically illustrate -'portions of therear faces of two pieces of fabric 76 in which, -inFlgureBa; the warp-thread is indi is-inside the needle-circle and it is of impor-- threads as described herein.

. in. cated as-plated on the ground-thread so as to show on the front or face of the fabric, and in Figure 6b the ground-thread is shown as plated, in accordance with the present invention, on the front of the warpr-threadsso that the latter show 1 on the rear-face of the fabric, a portion of the fabric is shown herein as'being knitted from a plurality of ground-threads and a plurality of Warp-threads, and

Figures 7, 8 and 9 are views respectively similar to Figures 1, 2 and 3 showing a latch-needle infioperation instead ,of abearded needle.

Like. reference, numerals indicate like parts -througliout the several figures.

In the method illustrated in. Figures 1 to a 1 awarp-thread 10 shown as a black thread, sup- .plied from a feeder 14, is first wrapped round its 'needle and subsequently theground-thread 11,

shown as a white thread, is laid on the needle under sufflcient tension such that during land-- ing and" knocking over the warp-' and groundthreads will attain the relative positions shown.- A loop-forming sinker is shown at'13 and a pressesverge for closing the beards is shown at 15. This will result in producing a fabric similar to that 14 illustrated in Figure 4 in which the warp-threads,

where they are formed into knitted loops with the. ground-threads, will be laid substantially wholly or wholly on the rear face or wrong side of the fabric; 4

This order or sequence of laying the warpthreads on the needles is according to established practice in machines ofthis class but it is found that the order of feed my be reversed ifdesired. That is to say, the ground-thread may be the first to befsupplied to the needles whichare afterwards wrapped with the warp-threads in which case in the u tic illustration-above mentioned it is to be understood that the thread 11 is laid on each needle before it is wrapped 11 with the warp-thread 10.

' It will be seen from Figures 1 to Sand Ito 9-- that the normal position of the warp-thread feeder before awrapping of the needle commences l: tance tothe present invention that all wrapping operations commence from the inside of the needlecircle then pass roundtheneedles in an outward direction and-back again to the inside. Also it is important thatthe warp-thread feedshould be from a position above the lie of the ground-thread feed. With these two essentialdesiderata the warp-threadlcops will be successfully plated entirely in rear of the groundthread loop providedthat proper attention. is paid to the relative-tensions of the groundand warp-threads and to the manner of feeding those e' above 1. show the formation of loops on a bearded needle as in-the case'of a machine of the kind known as a Cotton" patent machine although it will be appreciated that any machine, either flat or circular-,employing bearded, latch dr slldln'g latch needles will'be'.

suitable subject j to slight modifications which will be readllyunderstood by P380118 skilled in knitting machinery. a

' In Figures 7, 8 and 9 a latch-needle is shown inppration which'may beassumed to be a needlelin a circular machine. As in Figures 1 to 3- thewarp-thread (black) is indicated by the reference numerallo, the white'ground-thread atf 11,.th' i on-rennin; sinker at is' d the'feedei" at 14, It is. thought'to be unnecessary further to describe the operation because except for the'll change from a bearded to a latch-needle the sequence of operations remains the same as that described with reference-to Figures 1 to 3.

.When the ground-thread is laid on the needles priorto the ,wrapping of them with their warpthreads the adjustment of the tension'of the ground-threads becomes relatively unimportant, although even in that case it is or may be desirable to supply the ground-thread under a some what greater tension than that.ofthe warpthread. 7

Fabric knitted in the manner above described,

is substantially consistent in its formation although scmetimes a tendency is shown for the relative positioning or plating of the'groundthread with regard to the warp-thread to become reversed. For example, Figure shows an enlarged view of the knitting obtained microscopically in which the wale A shows the knitting viewed from the front or face of the fabric and the wale B is viewed from the rear. It will be seen at the places indicated by the arrows l2 ground-thread loops as shown 'in Figure 5; but,

nevertheless, even in such cases the general plane of such warp-thread loops is in rear of the general plane of the corresponding ground-thread loops. It may he remarked also that the twist of the ground-thread appears to remain substantially undisturbed, whereas that ofthe warpthread is noticeably released,'that is to say, the warp-thread is untwisted to some extent due possibly to the sharp bends through which the thread is turned particularly where it is turned round the upper end of the combined warpand ground-thread loops. This untwisting of the warp-threads tends to fill up the interstices in the ground-thread loops and gives an appearance of greater fineness of texture to the knitting.

The rear of the fabric knitted in accordance with this invention presents a much more ridged appearance than the face orfront surface of the fabric which latter isnoticeably smooth.

In Figure 6 a comparison is made betweena portion of fabric (1)) knitted in accordance with the present invention and another portion of fabric (a) in which the relative positions -of the groundand warp-threads are the reverse of that in (b). In both (a) and (b) the fabric is to be understood as'showing the rear or wrong face thereof. It will be seen that, referring first of all to the fabric (1)) the top of each loop of the ground-thread 11 in aneedle wale, as indicated, for example, by the reference numeral 20, is disposed between a warp-thread loop 21 that is formed together with the ground-thread loop in that course and the shanks 22 of the warp-thread of an adjacent course, The ground-thread loop is indicated in dotted lines and is to be understood as lying behind the warp-thread loop 21.

Moreover, the shanks 22 of the warp-thread loops appearance is to some extent marred.

prior patents referred, to in which they lie on the front.

it is ina position to, do so without crossing over the shank of a ground-thread loop.

Comparing this. form of knitting with that represented in (a) it willbe clearly seen that in the latter the ground-thread loop 20 isnow represented in full lines and the warp-thread loop 21, shown in dotted lines, lies behind the ground-. thread loop. In fabric (a) therefore it is the warp-thread loop that is disposed. between a ground-thread loop. of its own course and the shanks of a ground-thread loop in an adjacent course. Moreover, the shanks 22 of the warpthread loop are not in contact with thegroundthread of adjacent sinker loops 23 as in the fabric -(b) and the warp-thread in bending round at 24 has now to come from behind the shank of the ground-thread 100p.

. The fabric sections illustrated in Figures 6a and 6b and the relative positions of the warpthreads in relation to the ground-thread are only detailed in the case in which the warp-thread is formed into .knitted loops. It will be obvious, of course, thatwhere'the warp-threads are interlocked at the back of the fabric or are floated, the relative dispositions will naturally be varied 100 from those above described. a

It must be understood that a knitted fabric according to this invention and. as illustrated in Figure 6b is not a mere reversal back to front of the usual form of warp-thread plating in which the warp-thread loops are on the front or face of the fabric as in Figure 6a. By a comparison of these two illustrations and by consideration of the diiferences just described above it will be seen that the 'interlinking of the warpand ground-threadsinthe two cases is different in several respects.

The form of knitting according to the present invention has many practical advantages amongst which the following are of considerable value, namely:-- i I (a) The face of the fabric presents substantially the appearance of a plain knitted fabric, whereas if the warp-threads are to the front this.

(b) Variations in the tension of the warpthreads when they lie at the back of the groundthread are materially less. critical than in the case of the forms of knitting described in the (0) Fabric containing warp-threads plated on the front is comparatively inelastic, owing to the stiffness imparted by the tension of the warpthreads necessary to produce even plating. In the fabric according to the present invention, the quality of the plating of the warp-threads on the ba'ckof the fabric is of relatively less moment than heretofore, and, in consequence thereof, and

also of the fact that a more liberal supply of i3& warp-thread for each loop is permissible, and even desirable, the elasticity of the new fabric is materially increased as compared withv that of the older fabric.

(:2) Another advantage also arising out of advantages '(b) and (c) is that as the tension .is not quite so critical'a factor it maybe reduced to an extent that will practically eliminate or, at

least substantially minimize the risk of breakage 1 in the warp-threads during the knitting.

' (e) The character of. the interlinkage of they warpand ground-threads as described above is. advantageous inproducing an improved ladderproof fabric.

It is advantageous in some cases to use as the 1 warp-threads, y which have superior properties of heat retention and/or tensile strength as compared with the ground-threads. For ex- V ample, pure silk may be used for the warp- "5 threads and artificial silk for the groundthreads. 7

Where it is stated herein thatvthe groundthread loops appear on the face of the fabric, or that the warp-thread loops appear at the back iii ofthe fabric, the constancy of the relative posi-- tioning of the warpand ground-threadlodps is to be understood as including andjfmodified by the slight inaccuracies which occur in knitting as referred to in connection with Figure 5 Furthermore, as has been already stated, in the major portionof the the warp-(threads will be either knitted or interlocked with the round-threads. The invention is to be understood as existing mainlyin connection with those 29 stitches which are formed by combined knitted loops of warpand ground-threads, but in the case in which a warp-thread is interlocked with ground-thread loops the bight of the warp- I thread will in that case also be at the hacker m fabric.

" In a preferred form of the-invention the ground-thread is of a thickness great enough to impart of itself, to the mtted article, the required strength even though the warp-threads 3 are absent.-

- and in a still further example, using pure silk,

a ground-thread has been employed of 120 denier and a warp-thread of 30 denier.

, While it is a feature of the invention that the aground-threads are coarser than the warpthreads in the manner hereinbefore set out, it

is to be understood that when character. lines are to be mitted in the fabric coarser wan threads may be used for this purpose provided "that the number of these coarser warp-threads is so small compared with'the remainder that the quality of the fabric is not substantially affected.

'Weclaim: v

I 12 Knitted fabric comprising in combination round-threads and warp-threads knitted together with the ground-thread loops plated in front of the warp-threadloops, and wherein throughout the major portion of the fabric there 60 is one warp-thread in substantially every knitted Wale, the warp-threads being smaller in diame ter than the ground-threads. 2. Knitted fabric comprising'in'combination ground-threads and wz'irp-threads knitted together with the ground-thread loops plated in front of the warp-thread loops, and wherein throughout the'fabric there is one warp-thread in substantially every knitted wale, the warpthreads being smaller in ,diameterthan the in ground-threads.

g 3. Knitted fabric comprising in combination ground-threads and warp-threads knitted to- Y gether withthe ground-thread loops plated in 1 front of 'the warp-thread loops, and wherein Wethroughout the major. portion of the fabric there Lemma is one warp-thread in substantially every knitted wale, and the ratio of the ground-thread diameter to-the warp-thread diameter is'at least 1.4:1.

4. Knitted fabric comprising in combination ground-threads and warp-threads knitted tol gether with the ground thread loops plated in front of the warp-thread loops, and wherein throughout the major portion of the fabric there is one warp-thread in substantially. every knitted wale, and-the ratio of the ground-thread diame- 5 ,ter to the warp-thread diameter is at least 1.6: 1.

5. Knitted fabric comprising in combination ground-threads and warp-threads knitted together wherein throughout the major portion of thefabric there is a warp-thread in substantially every knitted wale, and in the major portion of the fabric ground-thread loops are plated in front of the warp-thread loops but in relatively small areas the warp-thread loops are plated in front of the ground-thread loops, the 9 war-p threads being smaller in diameter than the ground-threads;

6. Knitted fabric comprising in combination ground-threads and. warp-threads knitted together wherein throughout the major portion of the fabric there is a warp-thread in substantially every knitted wale, andin the major portion of the fabric ground-thread loops are plated in front of the warp thread loops but inrelativeh small areas the warp-thread loops are plated in front of the ground-thread loops, and the ratio of the ground-thread diameter to the warpthread diameter is at least 1.4:1.

7. Knitted fabric comprising in combination ground-threads and warp-threads knitted together withthe ground-thread loops plated in front of the warp-thread loops wherein throughout the major jortion of the fabric there is one warp-thread in substantially every knitted Wale, the warp-threads being smaller in diameter than the ground threads in most wales, but in the remaining wales the, thickness of the warp thread is increased in order toproduce shadow effects 8. Knitted fabric comprising in combination ground-threads and warp-threads kmtted together with the ground-thread loop plated in front of the warp-thread loops wherein throughout the major portion of the fabric there is at least one Warp thread, and in each knitted wale a plurality of ground-threads is knitted simultaneously, the aggregate diameterof the'groundthreads being greater than the warp-thread diameter. I

9. Knitted fabric comprising in combination ground-threads and warp-threads knitted together with the grolmd-thread loops plated in. front of the warp-thread loops wherein throughout the major portion of the fabric there is at least one warp-thread and in each knitted wale a plurality of ground-threads is knitted simultaneously, and the ratio of the aggregate groundthread diameter to the warp-thread diameter is at least.1.6:1.

l0. Knitted fabric comprising in combination h plurality of ground-threads knitted together with a plurality of warp-threads with the groundthread loops plated in front of the warp-thread loops, wherein throughout the major portion of the fabric there is a plurality of warp-threads in substantially every knitted wale and the aggregate ground-thread diameter is greater than aggregate warp-thread diameter in each Wale.

11. Knitted fabric comprising in combination a ground-thread lnntted together warpwith threads with the ground-thread loopsplated in 150 front of the warp-thread loops, wherein throughout the major portion of the fabric there is a plurality of warp-threads in substantially every knitted wale, and the ground-thread diameter is greater than the aggregate warp-thread diameter ,in each wale.

12. Knitted fabric comprising in combination a ground-thread knitted together with warpthreads with the ground-thread loops plated in front of the warp-thread loops, wherein throughout of the major portion of the fabric there is a plurality of warp-threads in substantially every knitted Wale, and the ratio of the ground-thread diameter to the aggregate warp-thread diameter in each wale is at least 1.4:1.

13. Circular knittedfabric comprising in combination ground-threads and warp-threads knitted together with each warp-thread loop lying in the rear of the ground-thread loop and wherein throughout the major portionof the fabric there is one warp-thread in substantially every knitted wale, the warp-threads being smaller in diameter than the ground-threads. I

g 14. Circular knitted fabric comprising in combination ground-threads and warp-threads knitted together with each warp-thread loop lying in the rear of the ground-thread loop and wherein throughout the major portion of the fabric there is one warp-thread in substantially every knit ed wale, and the ratio of the ground-thread diameter to the warp-thread diameter is at least 1.6:1.

15. Circular knitted fabric comprising in combination ground-threads and warp-threads knitted together in substantially every wale and in every course of the fabric with each warp-thread loop lying in the rear of the ground-thread loop that is knitted together with it, the ground-thread being of greater diameter than the warp-thread.

. 16. Circular knitted fabric comprising in combination ground-threads-and warp-threads knitted together in substantially every wale and in every course of the fabric with substantially the whole of each warp-thread loop lying in the rear of the ground-thread loop that is knitted together with it, the ground-thread being of greater di-' ameter than .the warp-thread.

' EDWIN WILDT.

I HENRY HAROLD HOLMES. 

